The Signs and Symptoms of Bruxism

It seems like almost every day that your Austin TX dentist, Dr. Dimple Sharma, is helping patients fight against the unknown. Many times dental detriments can seemingly occur right underneath our noses, and our behaviors can be the root cause of them, but we might not ever know they were brewing until it is too late.

One of these types of occurrences we are describing is our topic for today’s post: bruxism, also known as teeth grinding. This detrimental habit occurs mostly while patients are sleeping, as a means of “grinding away the stresses of the day,” and thus- many patients may not even know they are doing it! Because it can be so hard to self-identify this habit, today we have listed a few of the signs and symptoms to look out for when it comes to bruxism:

-Significant wear or cracks in the teeth.

-Severe jaw or facial pain.

-Loose or overly-sensitive teeth.

-Popping or clicking sounds when you move your jaw.

-Chronic headaches.

And even though this list is not every single symptom that can arise because of teeth grinding, it is a good start. If you happen to be suffering from any of the above symptoms, it is probably in your best interest to give Dr. Sharma a call right away. From there, we will see if something like a night guard, a nightly worn mouth guard, behavioral therapy, stress management or other cosmetic and/or surgical options may be the best choice for your individual case.

For more information or to schedule your next appointment with your Austin TX dentist at Grand Oaks Dentistry, call our office today at (512) 291-1666.